My harvested garlic is starting to rot in storage. I've done everything by the book. From planting to harvesting to drying to storing it. Slowly it seems to be rotting from the inside to the outside. Turning almost to a powder. Looks fine from the outside until you touch it, then you realize something is wrong. Got the seed garlic from my neighbour who has been successfully growing garlic for years. He has no problem with his. Worried about 'white rot' but it doesn't seem to present like it. There was no indication of a problem when it was in the ground. All looked perfect when first harvested. Worried about planting now for next years crop. Can anyone help me diagnose the problem?also, should I perhaps not plant this years garlic in the same location? Thank you!
Sounds bad. Is it a fungal rot? That is the most likely thing in my mind. I'd bag all the affected material and get it into the municipal green waste or garbage ASAP. I change the location of my crops each year. Mind you, in a suburban garden, I am not sure if there is enough separation to be effective. Anyway, I would not try to save any garlic, or get it from the same source again for next years crop.
Am curious what do you mean by "I've done everything by the book." It is a rather ambiguous statement. Could you be more descriptive? Since the neighbour you got the seeds from doesn't have any problems, and since your garlic looked perfect when first harvested, the problem is likely to be related to something what happened after the harvest, like incorrect curing or storage. In any case, I agree with Lisichiton that you should safely dispose all affected bulbs and the sooner, the better. Before doing that may be you could take some pictures of your rotting garlic and post them here.
When I said 'by the book' I meant that I planted at the right time, harvested at the right time (end of July beginning of August) cured in my open air carport, out of direct sun and kept it dry and curing for about 3 weeks. I've trimmed off and cut back the stalks to about 8-10 inches and have had them hanging and stored in my dry utility room bunched in groups but not crowded. Unfortunately I also stored the new seed garlic my neighbour gave me, sseparately, but near my garlic and this garlic is now getting a green mould on it (my garlic never looked mouldy on the outside. Mine is rotting from the inside.) I don't know how to send pictures, but will get my son to help me. I was thinking of roasting all of my garlic that is still good and freezing it. Unfortunately, I've already put some of the rotted garlic in my compost prior to realizing I have a problem. I guess if it is a fungus, I'm hooped!
Yes, it looks like you did everything right. How about your utility room, is it well aerated? Are you sure you don't have any mould there that could spread to your own garlic and to the new one you got from your neighbour?
My garlic has grey mold. I asked the Dept. of Agriculture about it a few years ago. It is everywhere. I rotate our 80 ft by 40 ft garden every year. Some of the garlic rots in the ground and when one goes to dig it out, there is just a rotted mass. Other comes out but is not good. About ten out of one hundred were making it. Last fall I planted garlic in hay and straw bales. I put them in a square and put Sunshine Mix No. 1 in the middle. Underneath all this I put a sheet of plastic. I used clean tools and cloves. Garlic good. I have planted this way again. Jennifer
Excessive watering, especially after leaf development stops, can cause Garlic bulbs to rot. There are also several fungal diseases attacking Garlic, like White rot https://www.google.ca/search?q=White+Rot+of+garlic&client=firefox-a&hs=P0O&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=nts&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=7iJ2VICpDIiwogTopoDwBg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1002&bih=629#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=nts&tbm=isch&q=White+Rot+on+garlic For info about fungal diseases of Garlic, causing the bulbs to rot, you can see http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/garlicdiseases.pdf
Thank you for the links, I shall check them out. We do sprinkle the garden but have very poor water pressure and a large garden so it is not overwatered. However, I shall pay attention to water once leaf development is finished. We eat a lot of garlic so this is an important crop for us, as are potatoes. Jennifer
